Near Eastern Languages (NESLANG) for classical and ancient language courses

Persian Language (PERSIAN) for Persian language courses

Turkish Language (TURKISH) for Turkish language courses

The Department of Near Eastern Studies offers instruction in the languages, literatures, histories, cultures, and religions of the ancient Near East and the medieval and modern Middle East. The department’s language offerings provide the foundation for the academic study of the literatures, histories, cultures, and religions of the region. The ancient language offerings include Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Avestan, Aramaic, and Classical Hebrew. The medieval and modern language offerings include Armenian, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, and Uzbek.

Language exams are for University of Michigan students who are planning on furthering their language study or want to test out of a language requirement. No preparation is necessary for the placement test – it is intended to be a tool to place you in the course most appropriate for your level.

Special Department Policy:

The student must maintain at least a grade of a C in each term of a required concentration language. Those courses for which a student receives a lesser grade must be repeated.

Armenian Language (ARMENIAN)

To find courses focused on Armenian culture, history, linguistics, religion, and literature, please look under Near Eastern Studies (NEAREAST) in the Course Guide.

The Armenian Language Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, began in 1976 with the introduction of courses in the Western Armenian language and a survey of Armenian history. In 1981 the Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History was established, thanks to the generous gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Manoogian. Six years later, the Marie Manoogian Chair in Armenian Language and Literature was created, making the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor a major center of Armenian Studies in the United States.

Courses taught by Professor Kevork B. Bardakjian (literature) and a professor of Armenian history constitute the core of the Armenian Language Program complemented by outreach activities. In addition to language, literature and history instruction, the Armenian Studies Program offers courses on Armenian architecture, Armenian-American literature, the modern Armenian renaissance, and Armenian intellectual history.

Classical and Middle Armenian tutorials are taught for research purposes. Classical Armenian must be acquired in order to read Middle or Cilician Armenian texts. In classes in Modern Eastern Armenian (the state language of the Republic of Armenia) and Modern Western Armenian (the language spoken in the Diaspora where, however, Eastern Armenian is also spoken by a very large number of immigrants from Armenia) reading, writing, speaking and listening are emphasized along with exposure to certain aspects of Armenian culture, old and new.